Picture courtesy o' LOC/Precision

Brief:
This model is a single-stage, three-motor, arrr, me hearties, cluster rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! It be designed for 24mm mid-power motors. Avast! Primarily D and E impulse motors.

Construction:
In this kit thar are one body tube, three motor tubes, two 3/16" plywood centerin' rings, three 3/16" plywood fins, one 18" nylon parachute, one elastic shock cord and mount, 1/4" launch lug and a plastic nose cone.

T' instruction for this kit were structured for modelers that have built a few rockets and understand how a rocket should be assembled. Begad! They explain the areas o' t' kit that differ from others in good detail. T' order of construction was well thought out so you do nay have t' "go back" in the construction process. This kit is very easy t' build. Begad!

T' only area I wish I had paid more attention be motor retention. Begad! Begad! LOC does not include a method o' retention in this kit. Blimey! Which is good in me opinion. Avast! Arrr! The builder can choose his/her own method o' motor retention. I had t' rocket completely assembled when I discovered how I wanted t' retain t' motors. Aye aye! The tree motor tubes are epoxied together in a pyramid style. Avast! Durin' construction, a length o' all-thread rod can be epoxied in t' middle o' t' three tubes so that it extends past t' aft end o' t' assembly. Avast, me proud beauty! This way, t' motors can be retained with a nut and washer. Begad! I had t' "go back" and drill a hole in t' epoxy for t' threaded rod. It works very well.

If you do nay use t' all-thread style motor retention, me bucko, matey, remember t' seal the gap betwixt t' motor tubes with epoxy. Ahoy! This will prevent ventin' t' ejection gases rather than deployin' t' recovery system. Avast, me proud beauty!

All t' parts fit very well. Blimey! Blimey! I did nay have t' sand any o' t' parts to make them fit. Avast, me proud beauty! I was a bit concerned about t' fin method o' fin attachment at first. Begad! T' aft end o' t' motor tubes extend past t' aft end o' t' body tube. This makes up a large part o' t' length o' t' rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! T' fins are attached at t' motor tube joints. Avast! No through t' wall mounts here. Ahoy! Begad! However, A little patience and a lot o' epoxy in t' fin t' tube joints will pay off in t' long run. Begad! Also I suggest an epoxy fillet in each motor tube joint. Ahoy! This will greatly increase t' strength o' t' lower end o' t' rocket. Begad!

All in all, usin' good construction techniques and EPOXY, t' Viper III turned out very sturdy.

Finishing:
T' only "con" that I can say about this kit be t' spiral grooves. Need I say more? T' grooves in t' body tube were no worse than an Estes kit though. Avast, me proud beauty! I filled them with Elmer's FNF and they turned out smooth and invisible when primed and painted. T' fins were coated with sandin' sealer and sanded several times before priming. Well, blow me down! I used auto primer t' start t' finishing process. Aye aye! One light coat. Then sanded smooth. Begad! Any imperfection were filled with Squadron Green putty. Arrr! Then primed and sanded until I was pleased with the finish. Krylon "Glowin' Lemon Yellow" fluorescent paint be applied the t' t' main body tube. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! T' nose cone, matey, motor tubes and fins were painted gloss black. There were no decals included in t' kit. Avast! Ya scallywag! This allows t' modeler to add their own design. Avast! T' model looks great after it's finished even without decals.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
T' recommended motors for this rocket are D12-7 and E30-7. Blimey! I used three Estes D12-5's for t' first two flights. Cellulose insulation be used for wadding. This stuff works great! It's cheap and can be bought at almost any building supply store. Ya scallywag! About three inches o' t' body tube full is enough. As I mentioned earlier I used a piece o' all-thread epoxied betwixt t' motor tubes with a nut and washer for motor retention. Ahoy! I also epoxied thrust rings in the motor tubes t' keep t' motor from movin' forward. Avast! If you plan t' use motors longer than D's and E's, me hearties, don't put any thrust rings in. Avast! Other motors will not fit. Ahoy! Begad! T' day I flew it for t' first time be near perfect. Ahoy! 5-10 MPH winds clear skies and t' temp was around 80. Well, blow me down! I used t' Estes ignitors that came with t' motors. I have an Ignitorman kit, matey, me bucko, but didn't have time t' make some up before this launch. Blimey! Begad! Upon hittin' t' GO button t' rocket lifted off very quickly and straight as an arrow. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Beautiful flight. Ahoy! I guessimate altitude at approximately 1000'. Begad! Begad! Recovered close t' t' pads with no damage.

Recovery:
T' shock cord is attached t' t' inside o' t' body tube usin' a small Keelhaul®©™® string. T' strin' is taped t' t' tube so that a loop extends one inch from the end. Epoxy is applied other t' end o' t' strin' and tape. Well, blow me down! Begad! This a very strong mount. Begad! T' included elastic shock cord is then tied t' t' Keelhaul®©™® string. I tied a loop in t' very end o' t' shock cord for t' parachute to attach. Begad! T' nose cone be attached about 18" from t' parachute. Ahoy! T' set up returned t' rocket very nicely. Ahoy! It landed close t' t' pads at a rate that did cause damage upon impact. Begad!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This a great kit. I was kinda nervous about t' first launch. Arrr! It be me first cluster rocket. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! It assembled and finished very well. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' flight can be summed up in one word. Blimey! WOW! I haven't flown it on E motors yet. Avast! I can hardly wait.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5

T' followin' excerpt is from "Sport Rocketry". Begad! T' intention is t' allow guests t' get a basic feelin' about a kit. Avast! We strongly suggest that you get a copy o' t' referenced Sport Rocketry and read t' entire article. Avast! Inside you will find many helpful hints in construction as well as other useful information. Blimey! For more information, matey, use t' two links above.

"T' components are solid, arrr, quality parts: plywood fins and centering rings, me bucko, rugged cardboard tubing, me hearties, shiver me timbers, plastic nosecone, and three 24mm motor mount tubes."
"A unique feature o' this rocket is that t' motor mount portion o' the rocket is exposed..."
"Buildin' t' Viper III be quite simple."
"T' instructions are clear and easy t' follow..."
"There are no decals with t' Viper III."
"It's unique, yet simple t' build, shiver me timbers, and a solid performer."

T' entire article gives t' impression is that it a skilled modeler would enjoy this unique kit.